Creature Comfort Gadgets

CanuckMariner/Nomad

Love having fun 😊 in the 🌞 by the ⛵ and the ⏳
I have long been a great fan of "Creature Comfort Gadgets", my friends can attest to this. In fact, I have met many people through this forum and on the trail that have contributed immensely to my gadget collection, not that I need any prodding. One of them, has been renamed to Mr. Gadget (you know who you are), for his rather extensive collection.

These are not fridges, as anyone who goes out for a weekend or longer usually has one or a cooler of some type; or a cool cooking stove like a Cobb or Cooking Partner or one of those rare three burner Coleman's; not a toilet like a Reliance or a Pett; and no, not an iPod or MP3 player; or a $600 folding chair from Abercrombie & Fitch; or a specialty $350 knife, et al.

Creature Comfort Gadgets are those neat gadgets that are very reasonably priced devices that makes life easier/more fun on the trail and doesn't leave a hole in one's pocket book. One doesn't need to shop at the Gucci's of Offroad or those posh publications. One can buy them at people places, like WalMart, Habor Freight, and many lesser well known, camp stores and online sites like eBay, Amazon, etc. And they add to the "Glamporing" of our hobby!

I once wrote to Overland Journal to volunteer to do a one page spread per issue of these types of gadgets in exchange for a free subscription each year, but alas, they were too busy to respond or perhaps they didn't think I was up to their writing skill level?

So, I challenge you to post up your finds
(one item per post please), along with a photo (or two) along with a brief description and price, store local, or URL (that's tech talk for website), etc. You know, so the rest of us can get in on the action and make life on the trail better and more enjoyable.

BTW: put the name of your device in the title, please.


 
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CanuckMariner/Nomad

Love having fun 😊 in the 🌞 by the ⛵ and the ⏳
Zippo Hand Warmer <$15.00 WALMART

For those that hang with the cooler crowd, get one of these to keep you hands warm instead of using your crotch! :costumed-smiley-007

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Zippo-Hand-Warmer-Chrome/15729049

d8a2_zippo_hand_warmer.jpg
 

CanuckMariner/Nomad

Love having fun 😊 in the 🌞 by the ⛵ and the ⏳
Coghlan's Magnesium Fire Starter

You might find these cheaper on other sites or even different manufacturers, mine is a Swedish model for $2.95 but I can't remember (Alsenhiemer) where I saw it or got it.:costumed-smiley-007

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Coghlan-s-Magnesium-Fire-Starter/8586954

s7_590102_999_02


Be great to have day trip somewhere with a bunch of friends and try to start a fire using the following methods:


  1. use one of these strikers
  2. rubbing sticks with a bow
  3. rubbing sticks back and forth
  4. shorting out a 9 volt battery
  5. using a broken flashlight bulb element
  6. there are many more...

Remember good dry starting material for these and other methods (not gas or diesel et al.):
  1. lint from the dryer at home
  2. hair from the barber (if you have any...ROFL)
  3. moss hair from trees (if you have them in your area)
  4. lint from your pockets - great stuff if you don't have a girl-friend or wife doing the laundry
  5. cotton balls
  6. there are many more...
 
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kai38

Explorer
Thermometers

A great $10.00 find at Wal-Mart Acu-Rite Indoor/Outdoor Wireless Thermometer
Place the puck in your fridge and monitor the temp with the other part in your cab, shows indoor temp (cab) & outdoor (fridge)
Runs off of 4 AAA batteries, two in each part.
ci00782.jpg


I'm always curious what the low temp for the night was and I found this temp gauge at Wal-mart also for about $6.00
6675927402p


Temps reset every 24hrs I clip to the outside of my RTT, it was 25 degrees in AZ 2 weeks ago for a low, that's good sleeping weather.


 

TFRI

Observer

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kai38

Explorer
12v USB port

Another nice gadget I use while on trips to recharge my ipod a 12v USB port.
You can find them at Wal-Mart also cost around $6.99

377537440_936.jpg
 
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mrlocksmith

Adventurer
For those that hang with the cooler crowd, get one of these to keep you hands warm instead of using your crotch! :costumed-smiley-007

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Zippo-Hand-Warmer-Chrome/15729049

d8a2_zippo_hand_warmer.jpg

Jan:

I have on old "Jobe" handwarmer... one day I cooked my lower back with the durn thing ! I had it on a "kidney belt" they used to sell and the thing heated up slowly and I never felt it burn my skin but it did right though my sweater. I is really true what they say... If you drop a frog in hot water it will jump out but if you put it in while the water is cool and slowly heat it up...it will cook itself.

I hope you are careful with that Zippo.

Mark
 

CanuckMariner/Nomad

Love having fun 😊 in the 🌞 by the ⛵ and the ⏳
Oh.. Noo.. I've been called out !

Here is one that even Jan does not know about yet. My wood fired back-up (while in the FJ60) or primary (while bikepacking) stove !

http://www.zzstove.com/sierra.html

Mark

Mark, yes you have been called out as you know you have a good collection of gadgets!

Jan:

I have on old "Jobe" handwarmer... one day I cooked my lower back with the durn thing ! I had it on a "kidney belt" they used to sell and the thing heated up slowly and I never felt it burn my skin but it did right though my sweater. I is really true what they say... If you drop a frog in hot water it will jump out but if you put it in while the water is cool and slowly heat it up...it will cook itself.

I hope you are careful with that Zippo.

Mark

Won't be needing the Zippo where I am going, but thanks for the thought, Mark!
 

Ridge Runner

Delta V
Snap-on Cordless 1/2"-Drive Impact Wrench

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...roup_ID=682064&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog
CT6850_v2.jpg


This one is an honorable mention since its price tag is way up there. However, the times I've needed it, it's been inescapably handy. It cost me a week and a half's pay when I bought one 5 years ago, but for all the times I've been working on a vehicle away from electricity or an air compressor, it's been worth its weight in gold.
 

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